That's Pigpen singing falsetto during One More Saturday Night, not Donna. Donna had her first appearance at the end of the month - 12/31/1971.

It's odd, I remember more of this show now than I did the morning after the show. I met up with some friends in Bayside, Queens. For some reason the insisted we all have some hot chocolate before leaving for Manhattan. The cocoa was dosed with "chocolate mescaline". A concoction with chocolate powder used as a vehical for some dubious psychedelic.

This was Donna's first show in NYC. I remember the crowd yelling, "who is the girl?" Donna's first show was the previous New Year's show at the Winterland.
The reviewers below are spot on.

Is that Donna at the end of One More Saturday Night? It sure sounds like her. I've been trying to figure out exactly when her first show was. Is this it?

Agree that Smokestack is very nice. Overall these shows have a uniformity of sound and presentation that makes it tough to recommend one over another. Nothing to complain about with this one but nothing too memorable either.

This is my first Grateful Dead Concert. I was 16 and had hair down to my shoulders. My friends and I rode the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan to get to the show, and by the time we got there we were "ready".

The Felt Forum was a great place to see the Dead in 1971. It was full of New Yorkers. The place stunk like pot smoke, people were snorting coke and tripping their asses off.

There does seem to be some distortion/vibration coming off of Billy's bass drum pedal microphone from time to time.

I remember the DEAD were using pyrotechnics back then. A huge sign was lowered from the stage ceiling saying "THE GRATEFUL DEAD" that looked like burning sparklers, and two giant skeletons from the stage ceiling dropped down stage left and right during "Casey Jones." WOW!

I still have my ticket stub from this show, $5.50 Orchestra. It's a Felt Forum Ticket not a ticketron ticket.

I remember Phil pounding on his bass and freaking out. It stopped the show. I think the battery on his bass was malfunctioning or something.

In any case get all the Felt Forum shows on the IA, they are worth having. December 4,5,6,&7.

My first Dead show, and Pigpen and Keith are there. Bill Graham was also present as the announcer/protagonist, and he took no crap from the kids in the audience that heckled him.

I remember the audience being more rambunctious and noisy. You don't get to hear the audience too well here. When the DEAD played "One More Saturday Night" on December 4, 1971 Saturday Night, the New York Crowd went BALLISTIC!

We had a great time...it seems so long ago...

Too bad the sound guy didn't catch the distortion coming off of Billy's bass drum mic. I have to give it 4 stars.

Thanks for the Love. This show is special to me.

1971, it was another Universe in time and space. Did it really happen? Here is some evidence that it did, and I was there.

What a beauty of a show... I'm basically rehashing what others have said, but Pig is on his game, Keith is on his game, and the rest of them aren't too shabby either. What the person below me said about modifying the Setlist is true, except that sandwiched in between The Other One, somehow, a Mexicali Blues creeps in. Well Done!

What a Smokestack Lightnin'! Pigpen pleads his case to a guy with a pistol in his hand. He didn't mess with your baby sister. He's been out of town. He's been gone so long... Great version!
Great show.

EXCELLENT! But the Set list is a lil messed up. I believe this is correct.
Truckin
Sugaree
Mister Charlie
Beat it on Down the Line
Tennessee Jed
Jack Straw
Run Rudolph Run
You Win Again
Me and Bobby McGee
Comes A Time
El Paso
Smokestack Lightning
One More Saturday Night
Cumberland Blues
Ramble On Rose
Me and My Uncle
The Other One
Wharf Rat
Casey Jones

Damn sometimes it's so hard to not criticize other reviewers.....I guess we just have to accept the fact that some people will never be happy. Troops killed in Iraq, Bitch hurricanes maul towns unprepared, earthquakes have their way. Simply put, there's bigger problems in life. This is an absolutely teriffic quality winter '71 explosion with a healthy Pig, and you would do yourself a favor to get it. FIVE STARS !

Another great recording ruined with cuts in between songs. It totally sux and ruins it for me. Don't bother if you are after the concert effect. Why don't people warn us about this shit? At least I'm doing my duty.

You need all these Felt Forum shows. They are every bit as essential as the famous spring 69 Fillmore West run that is no longer available here. Kieth is now fully intergrated into the band, Pig is back in a big way after a long absence due to ill health and NY heads are ready to rock! Just listen to the tone of Jerry's guitar on the first Truckin' lead. SWEET. Like BB King on windowpane. Pig rules on all his standards and Smokestack and a relentless Other One>Mexicali>Other One are standouts.Download now, then listen as you get the other three nights.

A perfect Dead show with the original line-up (including Pigpen) performing a fantastic setlist...every song in its full glory.

The next year, the golden-paved '72, many a nights would feature a similar setlist but here we're treated to a nice Smokestack Lightnin' recalling those stinging Fillmore shows the band would perform in the mid to late 60's.

Highly, highly, reccomended stuff.

this smokestack BURNS!!!!!!! this is pigpen maybe at his best ever extrapolating on a classic-----"i've been gone so long" whoa! the only criticism that i could muster up is that there is a little bit of funk on the bass drum, maybe a broken arm or something and the mic picks it up but to me, it is just great grateful dead weirdness fun!@! piano has plenty of distortion peaks too still a 5

Smokestack Lightning is HOT HOT HOT. This show is about blues and rock and roll and the setlist is a little different than normal for that year... The boys are tight on this one, Jack Straw was a little off, but seriously, enjoy that smokestack lightning, kids. Peace! Michelle